Car-seal.



w. J. DORSAM. CAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 17, I915- 1,183,443. Patented May'16, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

WILLIAM J'. DORSAM, OF LA FAYETTE, INDIANA.

CAR-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed August 17, 1915. Serial No. 45,985.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. DORSAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State ofIndiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car'Seals, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car door seals, and more particularly to thatclass of seals which are constructed of but a single piece of material.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a seal for car doorswhich may be stamped from a piece of sheet metal at a single operationand which may be quickly and easily arranged for application to a cardoor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a deviceof thischaracter which is extremely simple in construction, cheap ofmanufacture, which may with facility be applied to a car door, and whichwhen once applied insures against unauthorized opening of the car doorwithout detection.

With these objects in view together with others which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the novel combination andarrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafterand particularly pointed out in the claim.

The invention will be betterunderstood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which theimproved seal is formed; Fig. 2, is side elevation of the blank afterhaving been shaped for assembling; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of theseal in the process of forming; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentarylongitudinal section taken through the im-.

roved seal showing the same fully assemfiled, and Fig. 5 is a transversesectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings 6 refers generally to the strap from which the improvedseal is formed and which may be constructed of any preferred material,however, thin tin is found to be particularly adapted to this use. Thestrap is so stamped or cut as to provide a widened portion 7 at one end,the said widened portion being composed of sections 8 and 9 the latterbeing a trifle wider than the former, and the extreme endof this portionof the strap is provided with an extension 10 of a reduced width andapproximately equaling that of the strap proper.

aperture, preferably The extension 10 is provided with a pair of spacedparallel cuts or incisions ext-ending inwardly a short distance from theextreme end of the strap and the metal between the incisions is bentangularly to provide a spring tongue 12. The section 8 of the strap isprovided as at 13 with a depression of substantially the same width asthe strap 6 and increasin in depth from the inner to the outer end ofthe section 8. The opposite end of the strap is provided as at 14: withan of rectangular shape, and being of a width substantially equal tothat of the tongue 12.

In shaping the strap thus formed to provide an efiicient seal theoutwardly projecting lateral edges of the section 9 are bent at rightangles to the body of the strap to provide flanges 15. These portionsare bent on a line with the lateral edges of the section 8. Theextension 10 is bent adjacent its juncture with the section 9, back tolie fiat upon the latter, and its ends are bent outwardly at rightangles to the strap to form stops or abutments 16. The entire section 9is then bent over upon the section 8, thus forming with the latter andthe depression 13 a housing open at its inner end only such distance aswill permit of a proper insertion of the apertured end of the strap 6.The flanges 15 are bent over or crimped upon the adjacent edges of thesection 8 to hold the housing in closed position.

With the improved seal thus arranged it is obvious that upon insertionof the strap 6 through the hasp or staple of a car door and theapertured end of the strap into the housing provided at the opposite endof the strap, the door will be insured against entry without detection.Upon insertion of the apertured end of the strap within the housing thetongue 12 will snap or spring within the aperture 14, and upon slightwithdrawal movement of the strap, the end by reason of the resiliency ofthe said tongue, will be forced inwardly to seat itself between thetongue 12 and the abutments or stop 16 whereupon movement of the strapend will be held positively against movement in either inward or outwarddirection. The depression 13 being of substantially the same width asthe strap end will prevent lateral movement of the apertured end withinthe housing, as the said apertured end will be held seated or securedwithin the said depression.

By crimping the lateral edges of the sections 8 and 9 together it isapparent that any attempt to pry open the housing to eflect a release ofthe strap end will break the thin metal constituting the flanges 15,thus causing a mutilation of the seal.

I claim A car seal constructed of a metal strap having an apertured endand being widened adjacent its second end and provided with an extensionbeyond the said widened portion, said strap, at the widened portionthereof being bent upon itself to provide a housing having an opening atits inner end only, and the outer Wall of the housing being providedwith a depression which gradually increases in depth from the said openend, the extension at the widened end of the strap being bent in thehousing, the said extension being provided with parallel incisions andthe metal between the incisions being bent angularly to provide a springtongue, the ends of said extension in the housing being arrangedangularly to provide stops, and the apertured end of the strap adaptedto be inserted in the housing and to be guided by the outer wall of thedepression to have its aperture receive the tongue and its end contactedby the stops, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. DORS AM.

Witnesses THOMAS W; FIELD, WILLIAM F. SANDERS.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G.

